Join iconic Broadway star Chita Rivera for conversation and song with Seth Rudetsky

By R. Scott Reedy, Correspondent

Wednesday

Oct 10, 2018 at 4:05 PM

Chita Rivera has had one of the most storied careers in Broadway history.

Originating iconic roles including Anita in “West Side Story,” Charity Hope Valentine in “Sweet Charity,” Velma Kelly in “Chicago,” and Aurora in “Kiss of the Spiderwoman” has given Rivera some stories to tell, too.

The legendary dancer and singer will do just that when she joins Broadway aficionado Seth Rudetsky for “Broadway @ the Huntington” – a new series being presented by the Huntington Theatre Company – for two shows on Oct. 13 at the Calderwood Pavilion at the BCA.

“It’s a mix of conversation and song between Seth and me,” said Rivera by telephone recently from her home outside New York. “We have a lot of fun together.”

As host of “Seth’s Big Fat Broadway” and “Seth Speaks” on Sirius/XM Satellite Radio’s “On Broadway Channel,” Rudetsky – a musician, actor, author and Emmy Award-nominated comedy writer – has won a legion of admirers with his passion for Broadway musicals.

Rudetsky and Rivera first joined forces in Provincetown in 2012 for producer Mark Cortale’s “Broadway @ The Art House” series. Also produced by Cortale, their shows in Boston will be an unscripted blend of music and behind-the-scenes stories of Rivera’s legendary career.

“Seth is interested in everything. His taste for theater and music is insatiable. And he has a sensational sense of humor – he’s funny, kooky and very smart. He remembers things you’ve forgotten, and some things you want to forget,” said the song and dance woman with a laugh.

When it comes to Rivera, there is a lot worth remembering.

Born Dolores Conchita Figueroa del Rivero in Washington, D.C., to a Scottish and Italian mother who worked at the Pentagon and a Puerto Rican father who played clarinet and saxophone in the United States Navy Band, Rivera began taking ballet lessons when she was just 7 years old.

By age 15, Rivera was selected to attend George Balanchine’s School of American Ballet on a scholarship. In 1952, Rivera was cast in her first national tour, Irving Berlin’s “Call Me Madam,” starring Ethel Merman. She was most recently seen on Broadway in “The Visit” in 2015. The list of characters she has played in between is lengthy.

“If I had to pick a favorite role, it might be Anita from ‘West Side Story.’ She was passionate, earthy, faithful and motherly. I loved playing her from the very first moment. It was a very exciting time in my life, and it became even more so when I had my daughter, Lisa Mordente, in 1958.

“I’ve always felt fortunate when it comes to timing in my career. When I wasn’t cast to play Anita in the film version of ‘West Side Story,’ I didn’t feel as badly as everyone thought because I got to do ‘Bye, Bye Birdie’ on Broadway with Dick Van Dyke. If I’d done the film, I might never have met Dick. I don’t even like to think about that, because we became such good friends and we still are to this day,” said the entertainer.

A 10-time Tony Award nominee, Rivera has received three, so far, for “The Rink” (1984) and “Kiss of the Spiderwoman” (1993), and a 2018 Special Tony Award for Lifetime Achievement in the Theatre.

The first Hispanic woman and first Latino American to receive the Kennedy Center Honors, in 2002, she was also a 2009 recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Next month, the New York Landmarks Conservancy will honor Rivera as a “Living Landmark” for her contributions to the city.

“I’ve been lucky to work with some of the best composers, directors, and choreographers – including Cole Porter, Jerome Robbins, Leonard Bernstein, Bob Fosse, Stephen Sondheim, Charles Strouse, and John Kander and Fred Ebb,” she said. “It’s a tapestry of the most beautiful colors and it makes my job easy.”

Sharing a stage with Rudetsky helps, too.

“Nobody does Seth’s format the way he does. He gives you another perspective on yourself. And, in my case, he hasn’t gotten it wrong yet.

“Seth’s also a great concert pianist, so if I want to sing ‘America’ from ‘West Side Story,’ ‘Big Spender’ from ‘Sweet Charity,’ ‘All That Jazz’ from ‘Chicago,’ or something else, he’s ready,” said Rivera.

What the leading lady was not ready for was the recent passing of so many friends and colleagues.

“This past year has been shockingly horrific. We’ve lost Marin Mazzie, Arthur Mitchell, Barbara Harris, Paul Taylor, Carole Shelley, Jan Maxwell, Neil Simon, and so many more. Their losses are a reminder that we have so little time on this earth,” said Rivera.

More than 60 years into a still thriving career, the in-demand performer plans to continue to make full use of her time.

“I’m so Catholic that I always say the first thing that comes to mind. When I accepted my Tony for Lifetime Achievement, I said ‘Does this mean I’m finished?’

“I know it doesn’t mean that at all,” said Rivera. “I just want to be seen as who I am today. So as long as I have something to offer, I’ll keep putting the eyelashes on.”